( ic contact );

[scads]

Don't bother unless you have something important to say.

→ sms ← mms → voice ← video → action ← plans to end humanity → unreasonable tantrums regarding one's twin brother ←

Comments

a fight to the DEATH

[bountyfull]

[ Nai has been here at least a day or two, and one way or another Vash has convinced both Wolfwood and his brother that it's a good idea to have him stay in the little mushroom house Wolfwood and he call home with their little dragon. Vash has made it a point to bug his brother about eating and drinking as much as he can, to no real effect thusfar.

Why he thinks the two bags full of snacks and drinks is going to make any difference is a mystery to likely anyone who knows the situation. It doesn't stop him though, because like Nai, Vash is just as stubborn and unwilling to deviate from his chosen path. Said path just happens to be to keep his brother alive by feeding him.

He steps inside, ducking through the door to settle his gaze on a sight that's still strange but not unwelcome. ]

...Nai, I brought some things for you to try. [ He holds up the bags, full of convenient snacks, sweet and salty. ] There's got to be something here you'll like.

[ It's gentle prodding but there's something very steely and stubborn in Vash's voice as he holds out one bag for Nai to investigate. ]

prepare for chomps u lil twerp

[scads]

( it's been … an adjustment, to say the very least of it; it's one thing to be in such close proximity with his brother again, something like an unsettling ( and unbidden ) sense of longing wedging itself in the center of his chest at just being able to have something so seemingly normal with him again, but to include the one he'd had such high hopes for contributing to his cause —

yeah, to say it's been an adjustment is putting it taco bell mildly, and that isn't even pausing to take into consideration that he's still getting used to being effectively human.

vash has been pestering him to eat, to drink, to sleep like he's supposed to and it should come as no surprise to anyone involved that he's leaning hard in the opposite direction out of sheer spite. he's never needed to eat, or drink, or sleep and he's not about to start now, regardless of how adamant his body is about reminding him that he isn't the same independent he'd been before he'd taken a laser directly to the face.

when vash comes in, nai is wrapped up in the only article of clothing he has to his name ( not to mention the only article of clothing he's ever really worn, but that's neither here nor there ), looking slightly less than the hooded villain he'd made himself out to be previously but still just a liiiittle like senator palpatine with the way he's huddled up, all but curled in on himself in a vain attempt to fight off the pains in his abdomen that he refuses to acknowledge as hunger pains.

but. ruh roh. he knows that tone when he hears it — this isn't going to be easy. )

You're never going to stop your pestering, are you? ( he cares about your wellbeing, you crotchknuckle.

show some respect for your baby brother! )

9,999 years later

[bountyfull]

No.

[ No, he's not. Not so long as they're stuck here, together, with the need to eat, drink and sleep. Vash has adjusted easily enough, he's always tended to do those things just because he wanted to. He knew this was going to be rough for Nai, one way or another.

He watches his brother in all his hooded, hermity glory, his lips set in a almost neutral frown. He looks down at the bag and lifts it up to fish through it, trying to find something that might suit his brother's tastes.

Not that he has the first clue what that might be.

So what he fishes out is something that looks suspiciously like some kind of honey bun. He opens up the package, the plastic crinkling a little as he does so. He plops down the bag and moves to climb onto the couch, crawling into Nai's personal space like some sort of uncoordinated gazelle. He holds out the package as he leans in, one hand on the back of the couch while the other holds the treat out.

Like he's trying to feed a feral dog. ]

So. Eat. [ he pauses, waggling the honeybun. ]please

they don't see you like i see you;

[scads]

( continued from here. )

( surely neither of them had thought such an innocent game with an equally innocent premise would have seen them ending up like this; the argument is, perhaps, a little less surprising given that their first real spat since nai's arrival had been over a honey bun, but even he is a bit taken aback by how things had escalated. and so quickly.

maybe he shouldn't have pushed this far, maybe he should have held himself back from putting them into this very precarious situation — but that's the whole of it. it feels like he's been holding himself back from this for years, decades, a century and some change and it still hadn't ended well for them back then, had it? had it? with his own greed and loathing of humanity bringing his own demise down around his head like the proverbial ton of bricks.

vash pulls away — not far, just enough to take in a breath and he should do that, too, maybe — and it might not be far but it's still too much so for his liking, arms tightening around him fractionally of their own volition but then he makes himself loosen them. just a bit, just a little, because this is so tentative and he doesn't want to see his brother skittering to put some distance between them.

his face is buried against his neck, and nai's hands start to smooth over the notches of his spine in what he hopes is some kind of soothing way, something he might have done when they were both much, much younger.

the tip of his nose brushes almost absently against the soft patch of skin just beneath vash's ear, another kiss pressed to the beat of his pulse. ) Why? ( thump, thump, thump, steady and sure beneath the pressure of his lips. ) What do you have to be sorry for?

[bountyfull]

[ He doesn't want to talk. He STILL doesn't want to think. It would have been so much easier if Nai had just accepted the apology without clarification. Vash wouldn't have to try and untangle the threads of thought and emotions currently doing their best to knot together indecipherably. Vash swallows back words, his head shaking in the negative just a little as his arms tighten again and he pulls just that much closer like if he lets go he's going to wake up on the floor alone. ]

Everything. [ The chasm that's been put between the two of them for so many years, every choice that's helped push them both further apart. This, right now. Tentative and terrifying and rocketing over boundaries and lines that he's not so sure should have been crossed for more reasons than his thoughts can sort. And yet, he makes no effort to move, to disengage from the hold they have on each other. Instead, he's pressed so close that the word is spoken against the skin of Nai's neck, his nose buried against skin like he's seeking to overwhelm his senses with the scent of citrus and aloe, something so familiar and yet unfamiliar at the same time.

Nai's hands drag over the curve of his spine and Vash exhales a rough breath he didn't realize he'd been holding in. It's almost a sob, but not quite, just a rough exhale that ends with his mouth mirroring the kiss placed to his own neck. When those hands climb up higher, Vash finally finds the strength to push himself up, his own hands moving to settle on his brother's shoulders as he lifts his gaze to level a careful glance his way, searching, looking, seeking out something but not being able to ask, not wanting to ask. ]

[scads]

( it's knives who should be apologizing, not vash. not by a long shot; all the things he's done since he'd crashed the ships, all the bloodshed and heartache and everything he tells himself he's done for the sake of bringing them back together, of making vash understand that they should never have been separated in the first place.

the boundaries, the lines they're crossing are those upheld by humans, he thinks. he understands that siblings don't generally share this kind of closeness, this kind of intimacy but he can't very well deny that it feels good, that it feels right holding his brother in his arms like this, as close as they've ever been with the beat of his heart mirrored by vash's own. it feels like this is the only way it should ever be between them, no space left for jesus for anything but the undeniable pull that makes them both into magnets.

pulled into each other's orbit.

vash raises his head to look at him again, eyes bright, wide, open and innocent and nai wants to kiss his eyelids, the highest points of his cheekbones, the bridge of his nose. he wants to kiss his everything, he thinks, and it still wouldn't be enough. )

I'm sorry, too. ( for the last hundred years.

the plants, your stupid humans, all of it.

i just wanted you with me.

he raises one hand to smooth the pad of his thumb over his brother's bottom lip, leaning in to place another tentative kiss against the line of his mouth. soft, searching. asking for permission. )

Puts this Here Also.

[bountyfull]

[ It's late. It's so late, as far as their birthday was concerned but it took Vash a while to find what he was looking for. It also took a while for him to work up the nerve to approach his brother with the idea, so really it's been a couple of months in the making.

So when he finds his brother in the kitchen of their tiny little mushroom house (they REALLY need to look into getting something bigger, and soon) he approaches carefully, one hand lifting to skim over the edge of the counter with his fingertips. ]

Hey, Nai...?

[ He tips his head to one side, just a little, just a smidge. It's a telltale sign to anyone who really looks close enough. He smiles an easy sort of expression, his other hand tucked quietly behind his back. ]

buckles nai in for the long haul

[scads]

( he hadn't given his gift to vash under the assumption that he would get anything in return — it hadn't even been on his mind, if he's perfectly honest, just one more tentative step in the direction of repairing the chasm between them — and more to the point it had made him feel … good, to do something for his brother, something that he'd thought he would like, and it turns out that his gift hadn't been ill-received.

he's making tea in the kitchen when vash makes his appearance ( he's come to like the stuff, and he might even admit it, if asked ) and he turns the moment his brother shuffles into his periphery, eyebrows raised. he knows that look, it means he's already got something on his mind, already got something planned, but … all right, yeah, he's going to humor him.

( they'll get a bigger place eventually. maybe. probably. he might be used to having his own place, but it hasn't been so bad being this close to his twin. ) )

Mm? What's that look for, Vash?

[bountyfull]

[ His gaze shifts from his brother to the tea, and back again. There's a question on his face that isn't related to the one that had been there a moment before, but vash is quick to put it to the side (for now). ]

Well. I was thinking...if you wanted to.

[ He steps over, sliding a small box onto the counter from behind his back. It looks awfully similar to something that had been given to him back around his birthday. He pushes it over towards Nai's teacup, fingertips leaving it after lingering for a moment or two extra. ]

You don't have to, but I thought it might be fun. I found one that matches.

[ It might be a little childish, but the thought of it warms something in his chest a little. ]

delivery

[scp073]

[ when knives gets back to his room sometime in early december, there's a cute little potted plant waiting at the door. the included note is written in neat print, and includes instructions for care, as well as a personal note from cain: ]

I was thinking of you when I chose this. It's called a String of Hearts, and it's best to hang it. I hope you like it, dear.
- Cain

delivery.

[replicates]

[ this one took him a little longer, but he does eventually complete it: a set of a wooden fork and spoon, because he is committing to the bit and doesn't do things halfway.

it's wrapped up in brown paper and tied with some twine, left outside castle vash for him to find. there's no note included aside from a doodle of a knife on the paper, but he should be able to figure out who it's from. ]

mailmouse delivery

[livlaughlove]

[Do you live in Castle Vash? Do you like to eat? Yes to both, obviously! Shut up and be grateful, Knives!

Enjoy a couple of boxes full of bread and pastries, warm and fresh from the Stone Dragon. Surely there's something in here to everyone's taste.

The note atop the boxes says simply,]

Merry Christmas.
Livio

12/25ish | Castle Vash

[notsonewbie]

[Unlike the rest of the gifts in the house, Knives present is not left outside his door on the floor. Rather, it can be found in the kitchen. It’s carefully wrapped, with a note on the top. Written on it in large, bold letters is the world “Fragile.” Meryl knows half of the house can’t be trusted.

Should he choose to open the gift, Knives will find a Kintsugi Tea Set. Great care has been taken to procure this gift, the same amount of care that’s been put into ever crack and break in the set itself. Perhaps one could think of it as symbolic — mended bridges could be even more beautiful than what was there in the first place.

Included with the package is a small note.

-Meryl 💙 ]

Probably some ungodly hour late at night on Xmas

[bountyfull]

[ On his brother's bed are several things. A folded blanket tied with a light blue ribbon, dipping pens paired with oddly shimmery black ink, and a sheath of blank sheet music. It's a promise, maybe, but there's also a note. ]

95% of this inbox is me

[bountyfull]

[ Vash goes looking for his brother in the middle of the night. It's already past midnight so maybe it's normal that he's climbing the stairs up to his brother's part of their little wing, bare feet padding against the hardwood of the curved steps. He stops once he gets to the edge of his brother's bed, when he sees his brother's sleeping(?) form.

He purses his lips like the stubborn little brat he is and lifts a knee to crawl up into bed, burrowing under the covers and shoving himself up against his brother, his face buried in the back of his neck. Well, if he's asleep, this is fine. Maybe it's a sign that he needs to keep his thoughts to himself for a little while longer. ]

wouldn't have it any other way

[scads]

( he isn't sleeping, not really since he's vaguely aware of when his brother steps foot into the room, long before he even comes close enough to crowd his space and crawl into bed next to him. he dozes more often than he does anything more than that when vash isn't tucked in next to him, having discovered pretty quickly that he relaxes much more easily when his twin is near, and maybe … maybe if there wasn't a sense of something off that vash brings with him, he might have actually fallen beneath the veil of sleep and slept well.

he reaches back with one hand once the other settles to drag blunt nails through the soft hair at his brother's nape, rumbling out a noise of acknowledgment before he can bring himself to turn it into something with words. ) Are you all right, Vash?

you poor unfortunate soul

[bountyfull]

[ Vash exhales a long breath, lips parted against the skin of his brother's neck as he focuses on the sensation of nails dragging through the hair at the base of his skull. He hums out a sound in response, fingers smoothing over his brother's chest as he tries to decide if he wants to attempt pretending to sleep.

He decides his brother is far too perceptive when it comes to how he acts for that to work. His brow pinches as he considers how to answer, if he still wants to answer or if he's going to get cold feet and just give half truths. ]

Couldn't sleep.

good lord this ended up long i'm sorry

[notsonewbie]

[The last week has been something of a clusterfuck for her, a mess of realizing and admitting feelings that have bubbled up. Some of them were easier, others ended in (admittedly swiftly resolved) disasters. Each of them, however, has ended in Meryl becoming more and more confident in how she feels. And so, she's come to four conclusions.

One: Knives is no longer the man she was so afraid of.
Two: She's enjoyed Knives' company around the castle. The fact that he's given her gifts means that he likely has too.
Three: The kiss they had shared had been mutually enjoyable. The fact that she survived probably proved this.
Four: As a result of the above, Meryl was, most likely, developing feelings for Millions Knives.

The last one isn't a conclusion she comes to lightly. There is a lot of grappling to be done, namely with her relationship with the man prior to arriving here. There's a mental war in the back of her mind over whether or not she's done right by her mentor. She wonders if his penance here has any bearing on the world they've left behind. And of course, she can't help but fear that

It's Vash, in the end, that convinces her to place her doubts aside. Not literally, but rather his contagious optimism and hope for every soul around them. His belief that everyone, everyone could be forgiven is what pushes her to finally reach out and do her due diligence.

Her friends and partners have been consulted. She's gone over and over her thoughts in her head. And now there's only one thing left to do: actually speaking with the man.


It turns out, this is easier said than done. Meryl has passed by Knives' part of the castle at least three times now, all without taking a step further into the wing. The fact that the bottom of her jacket hasn't been worn clean off with how her hands wring into it is a miracle in and of itself. Never mind the fact that she somehow hasn't worn a rut into the floor.

On the fourth pass, she finally manages to summon her courage. With a heavy breath, she squares her shoulders and steps over the proverbial threshold that had been holding her back. Her head swivels as she begins to look for the man, unsure where to begin given the fact that she's never actively crossed this boundary.]

Knives? Are you in here?

i am EATING IT UP sorry it took me so long to get to it

[scads]

( meryl isn't the only one coming to some sort of conclusion or another with regard to certain things happening in this place, but of course it would be his brother to convince her to stop thinking so hard and go through with whatever she's had on her mind for the last little while.

knives … never would have thought his hatred for humanity would have taken such a backseat, let alone nearly disintegrated entirely during his stay in this place, but it stands to reason that maybe it never is too late to teach an old dog new tricks, though if you were to ever use that phrase on him … he might actually stab you.

with whatever he happened to have on hand. probably not a knife, but that's neither here nor there.

he's sitting in a chair off to one side of the room that makes up the most of his personal space in the castle, the paper and pen vash had given him recently resting in his lap and between his fingers respectively, and once meryl is close enough, she might recognize a very familiar-looking cup nearby, its contents still on the verge of cooling enough to consume.

he looks up when he hears her voice, so lost in thought at the notes he's putting down on the page in front of him that he almost hadn't heard her, but his expression melts into something fond when he sees it's her. ) I am, indeed. To what do I owe such a nice surprise? ( knife.

that is incredibly heterosexual of you. )

no no shhh you've had a lot on your plate.

[notsonewbie]

[The moment Meryl realizes that Knives is busy working on something, she very nearly turns on her heel and walks out of the room. Perhaps she might have, if she hadn't spoken up. Immediately ghosting him after trying to get his attention wasn't going to do anything for her case.

(The tea isn't missed — in fact it makes her heart lurch. To say nothing about the faint pink that begins to bloom across her cheeks)

Right. She has a case to argue — one for her own feelings and affections. The thought very nearly makes her turn around once again, and really — it's getting exhausting, fighting her own mind at every turn. Compared to the arduous journey she's taken with her other partners, this is already far more exhausting, and she'd picked a fight with one of them along the way!

Her palms itch, drawing her back into the moment, albeit unwillingly. Part of her wants to bonk them against her forehead, as if it might knock some sense into herself. She'd have to explain the display to Knives, though, and that's the last thing she wants, actually.

Instead she holds them up, ready to wave them off.]

Iiif you're busy, it can wait. Honestly. It's not that important. [Maybe it is to her, but that's fine. He doesn't need to know that.] I was just going to ask if I could sit with you. And talk, maybe.

See. Not important at all!

Meanwhile, back at the Masquerade

[notsonewbie]

[[Continued from here]]

[Ah. She probably should have mentioned the alcohol sooner. Almost guiltily, she reaches up to toy with a strand of hair, all but tugging it free of the pins it's been put up with. It's getting on in the night, no one would fault her for looking the slightest bit unkempt. At least this keeps her from completely panicking, right?]

Under normal circumstances, no, you wouldn't. [Despite the faint layer of guilt forming at having given him the drink without a word, she manages to find a playful smile.] But, with all due respect, you don't look like the type of guy who's ever had a drink in his life.

[Translation: You're a lightweight, and she knows it. Granted, she only knows it because she recognizes her own kind. Lord knows she can't handle more than one mug of badland grog herself. She doubts she'll be able to get away with more than one glass, and that might have been pushing it if she didn't take it slow.]

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't be bothered, having to take care of you - [She winces at her own phrasing — just coming right out with that, huh?] but I don't want you to feel... uncomfortable.

[There's a level of vulnerability that comes from being drunk. It's not the kind of thing she thinks Millions Knives wants to experience in a crowded room full of potentially unruly people.]

So just... take it easy. Enjoy the flavor. [She cranes her neck, looking for any appetizers going around.] And make sure you eat something too, just in case!

[scads]

( listen, there's no reason at all for her to feel guilty; he's over a century old, and that means he's a grown ass adult — even if he still has some learning to do when it comes to human things, but that's neither here nor there when it really comes down to it. if he decides to take more than one sip of the spicy grape juice before he realizes what it could possibly do to him … that isn't going to be her fault. it's going to be his, and he'll realize it later. potentially when he's nursing a hangover.

( can plants get hangovers? for the sake of narration's penchant for wanting this man to suffer as much as he possibly can … we're going to go with yes. and '98 did it first, so thanks for that, vash. )

he notes that playful smile for exactly what it is, and the one he gives in return is nothing short of a challenge. ) I haven't. Never had a reason to, but that doesn't mean I can't handle it. ( are we sensing some vash-level stubbornness? they are twins, after all.

but no, no. he is absolutely, one hundred percent a lightweight and he's about to find out just how much of a lightweight he actually is. stay tuned for those results, because they're bound to be hilarious.

as if to prove his point, he takes another pointed sip — albeit a small one, so maybe he's proving both of their points without really meaning to. any incapacitation of faculties involves a certain level of vulnerability, to be sure, and they may still be in the beginning stages of getting to know one another, but there is a part of him that doesn't think it would mind being taken care of.

not that he's about to say anything like that out loud! yet. give it time.

he follows her gaze in search of anything worth eating — not just appetizers, but of course it would figure that this one still has picky tendencies. ) I don't think I would be uncomfortable if you were the one looking after me— ( what was that about not saying anything out loud? sir? good grief.

but hold on. getting distracted here: ) Is there nothing that passes for real food in this place? You'd think it all garbage if you went on presentation alone. ( is this a throwback to vash bringing nothing but junk back to the mushroom house in hopes of feeding him … yes.

this is another reason he's going to end up cooking for you all. )

[notsonewbie]

[Her hands go up (one still gripping her drink, of course), the smile she wears now spreading to an outright smirk. If he's going to be this stubborn about it, Meryl will just have to let him suffer the consequences. As long as she doesn't stray too far, he'll be fine.

She repeats this much out loud to him, too.]

Well, don't worry about any of that. I won't be far. [Though, she does pause to now grin. He's so fussy and so stubborn. Obviously she shouldn't be surprised at the similarities that bleed through between the twins, but sometimes it really is striking just how much they share between each other.]

There are some nice places to sit out on the balconies. Why don't you go get comfortable while I chase down some real food for us. [Is she teasing him? Of course she is. If he's comfortable with being vulnerable with her, then it only makes sense that she'd be comfortable enough to tease. There's no threat of harm — hasn't been in some time. The thought hadn't even occurred to her in months.]

The night air might even do us some good.

Unfortunately, I am back (2/16)

[notsonewbie]

[Being that she only heard of Valentine's Day a handful of days ago, Meryl has had next to zero time to properly prepare for how to celebrate with Nai. The others were easy, by virtue of them coming to her first. She doubts her dear Plant is particularly familiar with this holiday, though, which means this all falls to her.

(The question of whether or not it's too early to share in this holiday has crossed her mind repeatedly. She'd like to hope Nai won't blame her for indulging in a human holiday. They'd exchanged gifts, after all. And besides... she'd like the excuse to spend time with him anyway.)

She'd like to think she's found a suitable gift, albeit one she has to struggle to keep hold of as she meanders the castle, searching for him. She might even have an idea of how to spend the day, if they follow direction said gift would imply. But it's all a bunch of maybes and hypotheticals for now.

First things first? Actually finding the damn man. She looks rather flustered and exasperated by the time she does, as if it's his fault she's carrying around an unruly looking tray. It has a towel haphazardly thrown over it, probably to conceal someone's view.]

You - [She says, very accusatory. Again, she's blaming him for her own decisions. It's a great start.] I have something for you.

oh no what will i do -- also don't look at me tagging this first before everything else

[scads]

( this is just the sort of thing that happens when you hear about a very well-known holiday or tradition that just plain doesn't exist when and where you're from — though, make no mistake, once he fully understands all the hubbub and what it's all about, he's not going to hesitate in ( at least making an effort! ) reciprocation for any efforts made in his general direction.

they may end up being less than traditional, in the general sense … but it's the thought behind it that counts the most, right? yes. that is exactly right.

there's a little note of surprise that filters up from the back of his throat when she finally does find him — flipping through a book of recipes he'd happened across quite by accident, filing certain things away if he thinks certain people would enjoy them — and there really is no denying the amusement in his expression when the words that come out of her mouth sound so exasperated. like it really is his fault entirely that she has feelings that she has absolutely no control over.

his gaze passes back and forth between her face and the tray she holds, brows arching slightly upward. )

For me? What's the occasion?